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| MEMBERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH MEMBER/OWNER | Downloads |
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| STATEMENT
OF NONDISCRIMINATION |
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| DEFINITIONS |
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MEMBERSHIP
AGREEMENT
These
Service Rules and Regulations, as part of the Service Agreement
between Randolph Electric Membership Corporation (Cooperative)
and the Member, govern the supply and receiving of electric
service. Membership
is available to all persons within the service area of the
Cooperative on a non-discriminatory basis as set forth in the
Bylaws of the Cooperative.
This document highlights the main points found in the
Service Agreement and does not constitute a contract between the
Cooperative and the Member.
As
a Member of the Cooperative, you are both a consumer and an
owner of the Cooperative. You have the right to vote in
selecting the Cooperative’s Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors sets policies that determine how
the Cooperative operates.
We
take great pride in providing you with quality service.
Quality service is our most important product.
We will endeavor to maintain at all times the quality
service that you expect and deserve; however, we cannot
guarantee continuous and uninterrupted service.
The
following is a general summary of what you can expect from the
Cooperative:
1.
You have the right to electric service if you establish
satisfactory credit and provide the Cooperative with necessary
and reasonable access to your property for your electric service
and that of neighboring property.
2.
All deposits for small commercial and/or industrial
accounts are handled on a case by case basis.
Randolph EMC will accept a letter of credit for a small
commercial/industrial account from another electric company.
The letter of credit must pertain to a previously
existing business using the same name.
Randolph EMC has a Creditrax system to determine a
deposit for a residence, small farm service or camper site.
(A) For a
residence, camper or small farm service if you agree to have a
Creditrax report run on the information you are asked to
provide, your deposit may be waived if the score is 0-100.
This means you have good Credit established everywhere
else and there is no need for us to charge you a deposit.
(B) If you are applying for service for a camper/small
farm service and your score is anything other than 0-100, you
will be required to pay
a
$50 deposit. (C) If
the application for service is for a residence (1) and your
score is between 100-250, you will be charged a $150 deposit.
(2) If your score is between 250-1000 you will be charged a $250
deposit. (3) If you
have not established credit anywhere or if you give us a
fraudulent social security number you will be automatically
charged a $250 deposit. (4)
If you do not agree to allow us to run a credit check you will
be charged a $250 deposit. (D) You may have a member in good standing guarantee payment
of your electric bill up to the $250 deposit level if you do not
pay. (E) Deposits
can be made in cash, checks or by the use of a major credit
card. (F) The cooperative may waive any or all of the deposit
required for seasonal loads.
3.
All deposits will be refundable after twelve (12)
consecutive months of maintaining an “A” credit rating.
4.
The past due date will appear on your bill. It will be the same date each month. The date will depend on
the billing cycle under which you are billed.
The following table
shows the past due date for each cycle.
5.
The Cooperative will notify you with a Past Due Notice
that you have at least seven (7) days before your electric
service can be disconnected for failure to pay electric bills.
This notice will explain the reason why the Cooperative
plans to disconnect the service, state the date after which the
service may be disconnected and explain what you can do to keep
the service from being disconnected.
The disconnect notice will state that the Cooperative’s
office can be contacted prior to the disconnection date to
discuss credit arrangements if you cannot pay the bill.
6.
As a Member you can name another person to receive a copy
of any disconnect notice. This
other person may be able to help you avoid having your electric
service disconnected but is not obligated to pay the bills.
7.
You have the responsibility to notify the Cooperative by
certified mail if there is someone in your household who is
either chronically or seriously ill, disabled or on an
electrically operated life support system.
In that case, the Cooperative will assist you in making
arrangements to handle the bill should service become subject to
disconnection for your failure to pay your electric bills.
8. If
the Cooperative plans to disconnect your electric service
because you have not paid your electric bills and if you can
show that you are unable to pay the balance due, you have the
right to make installment payments, designed to pay your account
in full within six months.
These installments will be in addition to the regular
monthly bills.
9. The
Cooperative will not disconnect electric service after 4:00 p.m.
on a Friday or on a weekend or a legal holiday for non-payment.
10. You
have the right to have the Cooperative test your electric meter
for accuracy and to have a report of the test results given to
you. A fee will be
charged for the testing; the fee will be refunded if the meter
is found to be outside acceptable accuracy limits.
11. You
will be provided with a packet of information containing
Cooperative bylaws; residential rates; rules and regulations;
information on meter reading, rebates, loans, conservation
practices, services available, and reporting of power failure;
and a statement of
nondiscrimination when you are accepted for membership in the
Cooperative. The
Cooperative will send you upon request, without charge, a copy
of your billing information for the past twelve months.
12. A
full and prompt investigation will be made of all service
complaints. Report
quality-of-service or billing complaints promptly to either the
Asheboro office or the Robbins office.
If you are not satisfied with the response that you get
to a complaint, ask to speak to a department head.
If complaints cannot be settled with Cooperative
personnel, the North Carolina Rural Electrification Authority
has been charged with the responsibility of working with Members
to help them gets their complaints handled in a satisfactory
manner. The address for this agency is 430 North Salisbury Street,
Dobbs Building, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-4321, (919)
733-7513.
13. You
may request and have installed by the Cooperative at your
expense, types of service that exceed what is normally supplied,
provided that they meet the general conditions in the Service
Rules and Regulations. If
you need such services, please call us.
14.
As a Member of this Cooperative, you will share in margins
called Capital Credits, which are assigned in the Members’
names. The
refunding of the Capital Credits is at the discretion of the
Board of Directors.
Office and Service Hours
The Cooperative’s general office is
located at 879
McDowell Rd., Asheboro, North Carolina.
The Cooperative has
a branch office located
on 201 S. Middleton Street in Robbins, North Carolina.
All offices are open for business between
the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. Monday through Friday.
Routine and regular service work is performed during
the hours of 7:30 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. Monday through
Friday, except holidays. Service
work for unusual conditions or circumstances may be arranged at
other times upon request. Emergency
service work is performed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Service personnel may be reached in Asheboro
by calling 625-5177 or 1-800-672-8212, in Robbins call 948-3401
or 1-800-868-7014.
STATEMENT
OF NONDISCRIMINATION
Randolph EMC is the recipient of Federal
financial assistance from the Rural Utilities Service, an agency
of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and is subject to the
provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as
amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as
amended, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, and the
rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
which provide that no person in the United States on the basis
of race, color, national origin, age, or disability shall be
excluded from participation in, admission or access to, denied
the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination
under any of this organization’s programs or activities.
The person responsible for coordinating this
organization’s nondiscrimination compliance efforts is Bob
Phillips, EEO
Coordinator. Any individual, or specific class of individuals, who feels
that this organization has subjected them to discrimination may
obtain further information about the statues and regulations
listed above from and/or file a written complaint with this
organization; or the Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Washington, D.C. 20250. Complaints
must be filed within 180 days after the alleged discrimination.
Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent
possible.
“A”
Credit Rating - A Member who has paid his/her electric bill on or before the
due date and has not written any returned checks or had any
violations of meter tampering.
Applicant
-
A Member or prospective Member who has applied for service.
Area
Coverage
- The public policy of obligating the Cooperative to provide
service, on a nondiscriminatory basis, to all persons and
entities desiring electrical service within a service territory
assigned to the Cooperative.
Billing
Period
- The time period between two successive, scheduled meter
readings.
Capital
Credits
- The amounts of the Cooperative’s net margins allocated to
individual Members and returned on a periodic basis as
determined by the Board of Directors.
Clean
and maintained right-of-way - Right-of-way area that is regularly maintained free
of logs, brush and trees.
Cooperative
- Randolph Electric Membership Corporation
Conservation
- The practice of efficiently and effectively using electric
generating and transmitting facilities while avoiding wasteful
consumption of electrical energy.
Delinquent
bill -
A bill for which payment is not received in the office by the
close of business on the past due date.
Electric
service
- The Cooperative’s legally imposed duty of supplying to an
established point of delivery energy service in the form of an
alternating current of frequency at nominal 60 cycles per second
and of various nominal voltages.
Foreign
Electricity - Any electricity used by the Member that is obtained from a
source other than the Cooperative.
This includes, but is not limited to, power obtained from
other power suppliers and customer-owned generators.
Member
-
Any person or legal entity who has applied for and been accepted
into membership of the Cooperative for the purpose of receiving
electric service.
Member
in good standing -Any member who has fulfilled all obligations of the Member
for any and all accounts under the Member’s name and who,
within the previous twelve months has had 1)no more than one
cut-off notice generated,2)no involuntary disconnections, 3)not
more than (1) returned check, or 4)no violation of meter
tampering.
Meter Tampering
- Diversion of power or the unauthorized alteration or
manipulation of the Cooperative’s meter, wires, seals,
load management equipment,
or other apparatus in such a way as to prevent the meter
from recording under seal the amount of electric service
supplied to the Member. (This
is a misdemeanor under North
Carolina GS 14.151 and subject to penalty and affects the status
of Member in good standing.)
NCEMC -
North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation located in
Raleigh, North Carolina is the wholesale supplier of electric
service for 26 Cooperatives in North Carolina.
NCEMC is a cooperative owned by the 26 Cooperatives in
the same manner that the Members receiving retail electric
service from the Cooperatives own the Cooperatives.
Permanent
-
Buildings which have permanent foundations and permanent water
and sewer facilities.
Point
of Delivery - The point at which ownership of the electric service is
transferred from the seller to the buyer.
The Point of Delivery will be, unless otherwise
specified, where the Cooperative’s wiring system terminates in
the delivery of electric service to the Member’s wiring
system. On overhead
services the Point of Delivery will be the weatherhead, and on
underground services the Point of Delivery will be the line side
of the meter base; however, the Member may be required to
provide and maintain certain facilities between the
Cooperative’s facilities and the meter.
Seasonal
-
Member, facilities or premises which are active, in use
or inhabited on a part-time basis, or during only certain months
of the year.
Service
Agreement - The agreement between the Cooperative and Member consisting
of the following:
Membership Application, signed by Member and
Cooperative (with membership fee and security deposit, if
required),
Bylaws,
All necessary right-of-way easements,
Current applicable rate schedules and
riders,
Load management agreement (if applicable),
and
Current Service Rules and Regulations.
Service
Voltage
- The voltage at the point where the electric systems of the
supplier and the user are connected (Point of Delivery).
The Service Voltage is usually measured at the service
meter base or entrance switch and allowable variations are
usually expressed on a 120-volt base.
Standard
service connection
- Unless otherwise stated or agreed by the Cooperative, the
standard service connection will be single phase, 60 cycles per
second electric service provided to the point of delivery at the
Cooperative’s standard supply voltages.
GENERAL
SERVICE RULES AND
REGULATIONS
The
Service Agreement between The Cooperative and its Member will
consist of the following:
Membership
Application, signed by Member and Cooperative (with membership
fee and security deposit, if required),
Bylaws,
All
necessary right-of-way easements,
Current
applicable rate schedule and riders,
Load
Management Agreement (if applicable), and
Current
Service Rules and Regulations.
A
supplemental written contract on a form provided by the
Cooperative may be required from any applicant whose estimated
demand is 50 kW or more.
The
Cooperative’s form of Application for Membership must be
completed, signed and submitted, accompanied by a membership fee
of $ 5.00. Applications for joint membership require the signature of
each individual. Neither
the Membership nor the Service Agreement is transferable or
assignable; however, capital credits may be transferred to the
Cooperative or to another Member if authorized by the Member.
A non-refundable connection charge, as specified in the
Schedule of Charges, will be required.
When
two or more rate schedules and/or riders are available, the
Cooperative will assist in the selection, but it is the
Member’s right and responsibility to determine which to
select. Refer to
Appendix for descriptions of the available Rate Schedule and
Riders.
A
security deposit may be collected in advance of service
connection or at any subsequent time when the Cooperative
determines that a deposit is needed to ensure payment of bills.
A Member, in good standing, that terminates service at
one location and begins like service at another location within
the Cooperative’s service area will not be charged a security
deposit for the service of the new location.
Deposits
other than those described above will be required by special
contract or when, as determined by the Cooperative, such deposit
is necessary due to the type of service.
Such deposit will be based upon the risk of a business
enterprise, the reputation and history of the premises, or the
credit rating and the financial dependability of the Member.
For a residence a guarantee payment of your bills up to the
amount of deposit from a Member in good standing will be
acceptable. The Cooperative will endeavor to fully explain all
means of establishing credit. As an alternative for small
commercial and/or Industrial accounts, the Cooperative will
accept a letter of reference that you have been a recent
consumer of an electric utility and that demonstrates that your
payment record over the last twelve months that service was
provided satisfies the Cooperative’s status of an “A’
credit rating.
The
deposit will be refunded after a period of twelve (12)
consecutive months during which the Member maintains an ”A”
credit rating. A deposit may be required at any time if the
Member payment record falls below that of a Member in good
standing.
Upon
termination of membership, the membership fee and security
deposit (if not already refunded) will be refunded or applied
against any unpaid balance owed to the Cooperative.
Additional
Service Connections
A
Member may have any number of service connections under one
membership. The
Member may be obligated to pay, pursuant to the above Section
102, the applicable service security deposit for each additional
service and will be obligated to pay for all electric demand and
energy used on the premises at the Cooperative’s applicable
rates. A Member
with more than one account is equally responsible for current
payment of all accounts, and service may be denied for a new
service for failure to pay on another account in the name of
that Member.
Area
Coverage and Line Facilities
In
providing area coverage service, the Cooperative will provide a
standard service connection that requires no facilities or
services in excess of those normally provided by or acceptable
to the Cooperative. The
Cooperative may require additional
fees for line extensions beyond the limits
as provided by Cooperative policy.
When
a Member or an individual requests that the Cooperative supply
electric service in a manner which requires equipment and
facilities in excess of those which the Cooperative would
normally provide, and the Cooperative finds it practical to do
so, such excess equipment and facilities will be provided as
excess facilities at the cost of the Member.
Costs will be collected through excess facilities charges
and/or contributions-in-aid of construction as agreed upon by
the Cooperative and the Member.
Members
applying for more than one class of service on the same premises
will arrange their wiring so that each class of service can be
metered separately. Regardless
of ownership of the facilities, the Cooperative will have the
right, at its option, and at its own expense, to place demand
meters, voltmeters, locking devices, or other instruments on the
premises of the Member for the purpose of monitoring and
maintaining the Member’s service.
The
Cooperative will supply electrical service to the Member after
all of the following conditions are met:
A.
The Member is in compliance with all aspects of the
Service Agreement and agrees to be bound by the Cooperative’s
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws.
B.
The Member agrees to furnish without cost to the
Cooperative all necessary easements and rights-of-way.
C.
The Member agrees to have all streets, alleys, and
driveway entrances graded to within six (6) inches of final
grade and have lot lines established before installation or
extension of electrical service begins.
D.
The Member agrees that the Cooperative will have right of
access to Members’ premises at all times for the purpose of
reading meters, testing, repairing, removing, maintaining or
exchanging any or all equipment and facilities which are the
property of the Cooperative, or when on any other business
between
the Cooperative and the Member.
In cases where it is reasonably necessary and cost
effective, the Cooperative may use, without payment to the
Member, the Member’s premises for accessing neighboring
property served by the Cooperative.
E.
Any previous outstanding debts owed by the Member, or any
other person in the Member’s household, to the Cooperative
have been paid.
F.
Provision of service in no way conflicts with public
authorities.
G.
All Member wiring and equipment has met the requirements
of the National Electrical Code and of the Cooperative, in
addition to the specifications of any local authorities having
jurisdiction. Proof
of inspections required to meet local and state governmental
standards of the premises wiring has been made available by the
Member.
H.
The Member has not connected, and agrees not to connect
in the future, any motors or other equipment which are not
suitable for operation with the character of the service
supplied by the Cooperative or which adversely affect the
Cooperative’s equipment or the service to other Members.
I.
The Member agrees to be responsible for any additional
facilities, protective devices, or corrective equipment
necessary to provide adequate service or prevent interference
with service to the Cooperative’s other Members.
Such loads include, but are not limited to, those
requiring excessive capacity because of large momentary current
demands or requiring close voltage regulation, such as welders,
X-ray machines, shovel loads, or motor starting across the line.
J.
The Member agrees to be responsible for notifying the
Cooperative of any additions to or changes in the Member’s
equipment which might affect the quality of service or might
increase the Member’s demand.
K.
The Member agrees that when multi-phase service is
furnished, the Member will at all times maintain a reasonable
balance of load between the phases.
Three-phase motors with high-starting or fluctuating
currents must be installed in accordance with the
Cooperative’s Rate Schedule and Riders and Rules and
Regulations.
L.
The Member agrees to promptly notify the Cooperative by
certified letter if there is someone in their household who is either
chronically or seriously ill, disabled or on an electrically
operated life support system.
The
Cooperative maintains one system of alternating current at a
standard frequency of 60 cycles per second that is supplied
throughout its system and within prudent utility practices.
The Cooperative will determine the voltage, number of
phases, and type of metering which will be supplied depending
upon the Cooperative’s facilities available and upon the
character, size and location of the load to be served.
The Member will consult the Cooperative before proceeding
with the purchase or installation or wiring of equipment.
To avoid misunderstanding, this information should be in
writing from both the Member and the Cooperative.
The
service voltages described below are nominal, and variations
permitted will be not less than 114 volts or more than 126 volts
on a 120-volt basis.
Single
Phase, 2 Wire, 120 Volts
Single
Phase, 3 Wire, 120/240 Volts
Three
Phase, 4 Wire, WYE, 120/208 Volts
Three
Phase, 4 Wire, Delta, 120/240 Volts*
Three
Phase, 4 Wire, Delta, 240/480 Volts*
Three
Phase, 4 Wire, WYE, 277/480 Volts
*
Not available from underground primary source.
Other
voltages may be supplied upon presentation of evidence that the
above voltages are not suitable for the load being served.
The standard primary voltages described below are nominal
and are subject to a plus or minus 6% variation.
Single
Phase, 2 Wire 7,200
Volts
Three
Phase, 4 Wire 7,200/12470
Volts
Single
Phase, 2 Wire 14,400
Volts
Three
Phase, 4 Wire 14,400/24900
Volts
Single
Phase, 2 Wire 13,800
Volts
Three
Phase, 4 Wire 13,800/23,900
Volts
It
will not be considered a violation of this voltage standard when
voltages outside of the prescribed limits are caused by any of
the following:
Action
of the elements,
Service
interruptions,
Temporary
separation of parts of the system from the main system,
Infrequent
fluctuations of short duration,
Voltage
control for load management purposes,
Other
causes beyond the control of the Cooperative,
Addition
of Member equipment without proper notification to the
Cooperative,
Emergency
operations, or
The
operation of the Member’s equipment.
The
Cooperative does not guarantee continuous and uninterrupted
service and will not be liable for loss or damage to any
Member’s equipment, belongings, real property, business losses
or consequential damages caused by any failure to supply
electric service or by any interruption or reversal of the
supply of electric service, if such is due to any cause beyond
the reasonable control of the Cooperative.
Such
causes include, but are not limited to:
A.
An emergency action due to an adverse condition or
disturbance on the system of the Cooperative, or on any other
system directly or indirectly interconnected with it, which
requires automatic or manual interruption of the supply of
electric service to some consumers or areas in order to limit
the extent or damage of the adverse condition or disturbance, or
to prevent damage to generating or transmission facilities, or
to expedite restoration of service, or to effect a reduction in
service to compensate for an emergency condition on an
interconnected system.
B.
An Act of God, or the public enemy, or insurrection,
riot, civil disorder, fire, or earthquake, or an order from
Federal, State, Municipal, County or other public authority.
C.
Making necessary adjustments to, changes in, or repairs
on lines, substations, and facilities, and in cases where, in
the Cooperative’s opinion, the continuance of service to
consumers’ premises would endanger persons or property.
The
Member will notify the Cooperative immediately of any defect in
service or of any trouble or irregularity to the electric
supply.
Maintenance
work on lines or equipment requiring service interruption will
be done, as far as practicable, at a time that will cause the least inconvenience to the
Members. The
Members to be affected by such planned interruptions will be
notified in advance, if practicable.
The
Member will grant to the Cooperative, and the Cooperative will
maintain right-of-way according to its specifications with the
right to cut, trim and use herbicides to control the growth of
trees and foliage located within the right-of-way or that may
interfere with or threaten to endanger the operation or
maintenance of the Cooperative’s line or system. When trimming right-of-way, the Cooperative will remove
debris at its expense from “clean and maintained” areas;
that is, an area which is regularly maintained free of logs and
brush, but not the removal of stumps.
In other areas, right-of-way debris will be left in the
right-of-way limit.
Members
who desire to have trees trimmed or cut which are close to
Cooperative power lines and, in the opinion of the Cooperative,
pose a possible hazard to the lines may request assistance from
the Cooperative in cutting or trimming.
The Cooperative will schedule such work at its
convenience. The
member is responsible for removal of debris after
trimming/cutting assistance is provided.
The
member will at all times maintain a power factor at the point of
delivery between 95 percent (95%) lagging and 100% (100%). Where the overall power factor of the Member’s load is less
than 95 percent (95%) lagging, the Cooperative may require the
Member to install at the Member’s own expense equipment to
correct the power factor, and may adjust the Member’s billing
demand as specified by the applicable rate schedule.
The Cooperative reserves the right to measure the power
factor at any time.
Foreign Electricity, Parallel Service, and Standby
Generation
The
Member will not use the Cooperative’s electric service in
parallel with other electric service, nor will other electric
service be introduced on the premises of the Member for use in
conjunction with or as a supplement to the Cooperative’s
electric service, without the prior written notification to the
Cooperative.
Where
approved standby and/or supplemental on-site generation is
provided by the Member, parallel operation of the Member’s
generating equipment with the Cooperative’s system will not be
allowed, without express permission of the Cooperative. The
Member will install all protective devices specified in the
National Electric Code, or the National Electric Safety Code, as
applicable. All
standby generators must be interconnected through a double throw
switch. A double throw switch prevents injury to cooperative
personnel and protects equipment by making it impossible for
power to backfeed into the main line from the emergency
generator.
Qualifying Facilities and Independent Power Producers
The Cooperative is required to comply
with the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA),
along with rules and regulations promulgated under PURPA as they
relate to qualifying facilities (QF).
Any owner/operator of a QF desiring to connect with and
sell electric demand and energy to the Cooperative shall notify
the Cooperative. The
Cooperative will provide the owner/operator with its current
rates as specified in the attached Current Applicable Rate
Schedule and Riders.
Any
contracts for the sale of electric demand and energy from a QF
will be made between the owner/operator and the Cooperative or
NCEMC. The
Cooperative will assist the owner/operator in making initial
contact with NCEMC.
Also
through a similar prior arrangement with NCEMC, all contracts
for the sale of electric demand and energy from an independent
power producer (IPP) will be made between the owner/operator and
NCEMC. The
Cooperative will assist the owner/operator in making initial
contact with NCEMC.
Line
and Facilities Conversion and Relocation
Upon
request, the Cooperative will, consistent with prudent utility
practice, relocate lines, poles, and facilities upon agreement
and payment of the no betterment cost.
Any additional right-of-way necessary for relocation will
be the responsibility of the Member to obtain.
At
a Member’s request, the Cooperative may convert existing
adequate overhead facilities to underground, provided that the
Member pays the Cooperative for the cost incurred.
Under
most circumstances, the Cooperative will, upon request, raise or
lower lines to afford a safe passage for buildings or equipment being moved.
Parties making such requests will be required to pay the
cost of the labor and any material used, plus an appropriate
charge for transportation equipment.
Also, such parties will be required to make a deposit, in
advance, of the estimated cost to the Cooperative.
The
Cooperative will, at no charge, investigate, render advice and
lend assistance needed for all reasonable requests of the Member
pertaining to the Member’s account, usage, bill, load
management equipment, and energy conservation measures.
BILLING
Meters
will be read and bills rendered by the Cooperative. When a meter cannot be read on or about the scheduled date,
the meter reading and corresponding use for the period will be
estimated based on prior usage.
Accounts billed on an estimated basis will be adjusted as
necessary when actual readings are obtained.
An explanation of the meter-reading process can be
obtained from the Cooperative.
Bills
are due and payable upon receipt and are considered delinquent
if payment is not received in the office by the close of
business on the Past Due Date.
Members whose bills become delinquent may be charged a
late payment charge.
If the bill is delinquent
after the Past Due Date, a disconnect notice will be
mailed to the Member. This notice will explain the reason why
the Cooperative plans to disconnect the service, state the date
after which the service may be disconnected and explain what you
can do to keep the service from being disconnected.
The disconnect notice will state that the Cooperative’s
office can be contacted prior to the disconnection date to
discuss credit arrangements if you cannot pay the bill.
If
the account remains delinquent on the cutoff date, a supervisor
within the Cooperative will review the account to determine if
the Member has taken the necessary action to avoid
disconnection.
The
Cooperative may either refer the account to a collection
agency at the cost to the Member or dispatch
field personnel to read the meter and make the effort
to notify the Member, receive payment, make satisfactory
credit arrangements, agree to defer action because of death or
illness or disconnect. The
field personnel may require payment of all past due portions of
the delinquent bill plus a field collection fee, as specified in
the Schedule of Charges, or disconnect the service without
further notice.
Members
may request in writing that a copy of any disconnect notices be
sent to a specified third party.
The
Cooperative may waive the above notification and disconnection
procedure for up to one billing cycle for members who have an
"A" credit history rating.
If
a Member has more than one account, the Cooperative reserves the
right to apply any payment made by the Member to any account
owed to the Cooperative by the Member.
All funds received will first be applied to any interest
and penalty on the delinquent account(s) with the remaining
funds to be applied against the electric service bill.
Failure
to receive a bill does not exempt a Member from payment.
A duplicate bill may be obtained from the Cooperative.
Neither a dispute concerning the amount of a bill nor
a
claim or demand by the Member against the Cooperative will alter
the normal requirements for payment.
See Complaint Procedure in Section 503 for resolution of
disputed bills.
Payments
may be made through any of the district offices of the
Cooperative. Payments
may be made:
in person,
in the after-hours deposit facility,
by mail (check or money order only), or
by bank draft.
major credit card (American Express, Discover,
MasterCard,
and/or VISA)
A
budget billing procedure is offered by the Cooperative for
Members who request levelized payments throughout the year by
completing and signing the Cooperative’s Budget Billing
Agreement (See Appendix).
Any
Member whose check for payment of service is returned for
insufficient funds will be notified immediately and a returned
check fee will be added to the Member’s account.
Such charge will be up to the maximum allowed by North
Carolina law (GS 25-3-572).
If the Member is in good standing, the Cooperative will
attempt to notify the Member.
The returned check fee and account will be considered to
be delinquent, and the delinquent billing handled in accordance
with Section 302, above. If
the Member is not in good standing and payment is not made
within three days after the date of notification, service will
be discontinued. If
the Cooperative receives more than two such checks from a Member
in the previous 12 month period, the Cooperative may refuse to
accept further checks from that Member.
Billing
Adjustments - Adjustments to the electric bill due to inaccurate
metering equipment, errors in meter reading or billing will be
made promptly. The
Cooperative will issue immediate credit when it is in error and
the Member will be expected to pay any appropriate additional
charges as billed. Payments
to the Cooperative may be made in installments over the same
period of time during which the error occurred.
If
the interval during which the error occurred cannot be
determined, then the billing adjustment will be based on an
appropriate estimation of usage and/or demand for a
period of twelve
months.
When
a meter stops or fails to register correctly, or if the
calibration is found to be in error of more than plus or minus
two percent (2%), the Member’s account will be adjusted
accordingly. The
Cooperative will periodically test and inspect its meters.
A
Member may request in writing that a meter be tested.
A report will be supplied to the Member within a
reasonable time after the completion of the test.
A meter test charge, as specified in the Schedule of
Charges, will be imposed and refunded if the meter is found to
be in error in excess of plus or minus two percent (2%).
At
the discretion of the Cooperative, credit may be extended to
Members in accordance with the following standards:
A. When it is determined that enforcement of the policy will constitute an undue hardship in relation to the amount of the